Another Dialogue question...

jennifer75 · Sep 5, 2008

When writing thoughts, are italics and open and close tags the only thing I should worry about, to indicate that they are thoughts and not a conversation?

My example:

“It’s 7:35, I’ll never make it on time. I’ve got to drop him off, first. God, he can’t be late, it’s only the third day of school. We were doing so well!”

Riley · Sep 5, 2008

One: Never put your thoughts in quotation marks.

Two: Format your dialogue so you don't have to use italics. Some people will tell you differently, but italics are hard on the eyes and indicate emphasis, both of which can give you trouble in your writing.

Too many italicized thoughts and your readers' eyes get tired. Too much emphasis blunts other areas where you need emphasis, even if there's otherwise no italics involved with it (did that make sense?)

dpaterso · Sep 5, 2008

If you're already italicizing* to indicate thoughts, I don't think you need the quotes as well. (If I've understood your sample.)

* in your document this will be underlined not italicized

-Derek

FennelGiraffe · Sep 5, 2008

I can't tell from the way you posted it. Are the quotation marks part of the example, or are they wrapped around the example to indicate this is quoted from your WIP? Because they shouldn't be used along with italics for internal thought.

The other thing is, that's a lot of internal thought, almost stream of consciousness. Are you sure you want to spend that much time inside your char's head? I'm not saying it's definitely wrong, I can't tell much without context, but it kind of jumped out at me.

Telstar · Sep 5, 2008

jennifer75 said:
When writing thoughts, are italics and open and close tags the only thing I should worry about, to indicate that they are thoughts and not a conversation?

My example:

“It’s 7:35, I’ll never make it on time. I’ve got to drop him off, first. God, he can’t be late, it’s only the third day of school. We were doing so well!”

This in my book would indicate some OTHER's dialogue line that my MC is remembering.

Use only italics for his/her own thoughts, or quotes and , I thought.

Telstar · Sep 5, 2008

Riley said:
Two: Format your dialogue so you don't have to use italics. Some people will tell you differently, but italics are hard on the eyes and indicate emphasis, both of which can give you trouble in your writing.

Yep. I pefer italics, with 3rd person POV/omniscient, but with first person is almost unneeded.

Bufty · Sep 5, 2008

Put quotes around it and it is conversation.

Get the POV right, and lead into the thought properly and it's not necessary to have single quotes or italics or anything else. It should be clear it is a thought simply because of the way one leads up to it.

kct webber · Sep 5, 2008

I am thinking right now. (the typsetter will read underlines as italics.)

"I am talking right now."

I am thinking about how to add a tag, he thought.

"I am talking about how to add a tag," he said.

"I am adding emphasis to the word talking while speaking," he said.

I am adding emphasis to the word thinking while thinking, he thought.

*this is how I remember "Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript" by Laufenberg.

jennifer75 · Sep 5, 2008

Ok, so no quotations.

dpaterso said:
If you're already italicizing* to indicate thoughts, I don't think you need the quotes as well. (If I've understood your sample.)

* in your document this will be underlined not italicized

-Derek

Do I have to???? I hate reading underlined text....italics just looks better.

jennifer75 · Sep 5, 2008

Bufty said:
Get the POV right, and lead into the thought properly and it's not necessary to have single quotes or italics or anything else. It should be clear it is a thought simply because of the way one leads up to it.

Ahhhh I like it. Thank you.

Another Dialogue question...

jennifer75

SupahStah!

Riley

They won't let me be good

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

FennelGiraffe

It's green they say

Telstar

I create people

Telstar

I create people

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

kct webber

Squirrel, Sekrit type, 1 ea.

jennifer75

SupahStah!

jennifer75

SupahStah!